How much are you allowed to bring?

The Kilimanjaro National Park has a maximum carrying weight per porter of 25kg, which includes the porter’s personal gear, which is assumed to be 5kg, plus 5kg of company gear (tents, food, cooking equipment etc). Thus the load they carry for the trekker should not exceed 15kg. This includes any equipment or clothing you have rented from us plus and special requests for additional / special food or clothing. Where the weight is in excess of 15kgs, additional porters can be arranged @ USD 10 per porter, per day for the duration of the trek.

Note that we supply sleeping mats to all of our climbers, so you will not need to bring one of those.

Also note that you are no longer allowed to bring plastic bags into Tanzania. Do not try to bring them into the country or you could face a heavy fine! This is a shame as they are useful for separating things in your rucksack and keeping them dry too. Bags that are clearly meant to be used more than once – and particularly zip-loc bags – are fine so maybe consider bringing those instead.

Rental Equipment

Summit jacket $5 per day

Sleeping bag $5 per day

Head-torch $1 per day

Large kit bag $5 per day

Gloves $2 per day

Walking poles $2 per day

Waterproof jacket/trousers $2/$2 per day

Daypack $3 per day

Clothes

The secret to staying warm is to wear lots of layers. Not only does this actually make you warmer than if you just had one single, thick layer – the air trapped between the layers heats up and acts as insulation – but it also means you can peel off the layers one by one when you get too warm, and put them on again one by one when the temperatures drop.

A suitable Kilimanjaro wardrobe would include:

Walking boots The important thing about boots is comfort, with enough toe room, remembering that on the ascent up Kibo you might be wearing an extra pair or two of socks, and that on the descent the toes will be shoved into the front of the boots with every step. Remember these points when trying on trekking boots in the shop. Make sure they are also sturdy, waterproof, durable and high enough to provide support for your ankles. Finally, ensure you break them in before you come to Tanzania, so that if they do give you blisters, you can recover before you set foot on the mountain.

Socks Ahhh, the joy of socks … a couple of thick thermal pairs and some regular ones should be fine; you may stink but you’ll be comfortable too, which is far more important. Some people walk in one thick and one thin pair of socks, changing the thin pair regularly, rinsing them out in the evening and tying them to their pack to dry during the day.

Fleece Fleeces are light, pack down small, dry quickly and can be very, very warm. Take at least two: one thick ‘polar’ one and one of medium thickness and warmth. Make sure that you can wear the thinner one over all of the T-shirts and shirts you’ll be taking, and that you can wear your thick one over all of these – you’ll need to on the night-walk up Kibo.

Down jacket Not necessary if you have enough fleeces, but nevertheless wonderfully warm, light, compact – and expensive. Make sure it is large enough to go over all your clothes. Remember we can rent one out to you, which is certainly cheaper than buying one.

Thermals The value of thermal underwear lies in the way it draws moisture (ie sweat) away from your body. A thermal vest and long johns are sufficient. Trousers Don’t take jeans, which are heavy and difficult to dry. Instead, take a couple of pairs of trekking trousers, such as those made by Rohan, preferably one light and one heavy.

Sun-hat Essential: it can be hot and dazzling on the mountain …

Woolly/fleecy hat … but it can also be very cold. Brightly-coloured bobble hats can be bought very cheaply in Moshi/Arusha; or, better still, invest in one of those balaclavas which you can usually find on sale in Moshi, which look a bit like a knitted pizza oven but which will protect your face from the biting summit wind. Gloves Preferably fleecy; many people wear a thin thermal under-glove too. Rainwear While you are more likely to be rained on during the walk in the forest, where it’s still warm, once you’ve got your clothes wet there will be little opportunity to dry them on the trek – and you will not want to attempt to climb freezing Kibo in wet clothes. A waterproof jacket – preferably made from Gore-tex or similar breathable material, hopefully with a warm or fleecy lining too, and big enough to go over all your clothes so you can wear it for the night-walk on Kibo – is ideal; waterproof trousers are perhaps a luxury rather than a necessity, but if you have a pair bring them with you. Alternatively, one reader suggests a cheap waterproof poncho ‘from a dollar store’, preferably one that goes over the backpack as well as yourself.

Summer clothes T-shirts and shorts are the most comfortable things to wear under the humid forest canopy. You are strongly recommended to take a shirt with a collar too, to stop the sun from burning the back of your neck.

Other equipment

We will provide a tent and sleeping mat, as well as cooking equipment, cutlery and crockery. You will still need to pack a few other items, however.

Essential stuff for your trek

Sleeping bag The warmest you’ve got. A three-season bag (up to -15°C) is the minimum requirement (and add a thermal, fleecy inner bag to this if you can).

Water bottles/Platypus or Camelbak system You’ll need to carry a minimum of three litres of water up Kibo at the very least. Indeed, many people take enough bottles to carry four litres. Make sure your bottles are thermally protected or they will freeze on the summit. Regular army-style water bottles are fine, though these days many trekkers prefer the new Platypus/Camelbak systems, a kind of soft, plastic bladder with a long tube from which you can drink as you walk along. They have a number of advantages over regular bottles in that they save you fiddling about with bottle tops and you can keep your hands in your pockets while you drink – great on the freezing night-time walk to the summit. They will freeze, however (they always do!) so bring a normal bottle too, which you can wrap up in a towel and keep in your daypack to prevent it from freezing.

Water purifiers/filter Though we try to boil all water and treat it with Katadyn, it would be great if you could also bring some purifying agent (a filter or tablets for example) as occasionally we run low on Katadyn and they can be difficult to source in Arusha. Another way to clean water is the Steripen (www.steripen.com).

Torch A head-torch is far more practical than a hand-held one, allowing you to keep both hands free; on the last night this advantage is pretty essential, as you can keep your hands in your pockets for warmth.

Sunscreen High factor (35-40) essential.

Towel Bring a small towel only, as you won’t get many opportunities to wash on the mountain.

Sunglasses Very, very necessary for the morning after you’ve reached the summit, when the early morning light on Kibo can be painful and damaging.

Money For tipping, souvenirs, stamps, postcards, and for meals when not on the mountain or on safari (other than breakfast, which is included n your accommodation)

Toothbrush and toothpaste Ensure your dental checks are up-to-date; if there is one thing more painful than climbing to the summit of Kili, it’s climbing to the summit of Kili with toothache.

Toilet paper Tampons/sanitary towels Handwash

Diamox For more information on this wonder drug please visit the Diamox page on the book’s website; and visit this page for more information on how Diamox works

Highly desirable stuff for Kilimanjaro

Smartphone Some people may consider this to be unnecessary, others will consider their phone to be vital. Your average smartphone and the apps you’ve loaded onto it can certainly perform many roles: torch, MP3 player/ipod, camera, GPS, step counter, compass, etc etc etc. Your itinerary will tell you what mobile reception is like on your route. Remember to bring your charger – you won’t be able to charge your phone on Kili, but can in the hotel before you set off.

Battery pack for your smartphone Very essential, if you don’t want to run out of power after a day or two

Trekking poles If you’ve done some trekking before you’ll know if you need poles or not; if you haven’t, assume you will. While people often use them the whole way, poles really come into their own on the descent, to minimize the strain on your knees as you trudge downhill. Telescopic poles can be brought from trekking/camping outfitters in the West, or you can invest in a more local version – a Maasai ‘walking stick’ – from souvenir shops in Moshi or Arusha.

Boiled sweets/chocolate For winning friends, influencing people and maintaining morale.

Bandanna (aka ‘buff’) For keeping the dust out of your face when walking on the Saddle, to use as an ear-warmer on the final night, and to mop the sweat from your brow on those exhausting uphill climbs. Also useful for blocking out the odours when using the public toilets at the campsites.

Chapstick/ lip salve or vaseline The wind on the summit will rip your sunburnt lips to shreds. Save yourself the agony by investing in chapstick, available from pharmacists and supermarkets in Arusha/Moshi.

Camera and equipment

Useful stuff for Kilimanjaro

Earplugs A set of earplugs will reduce this disturbance at night.

Gaiters Useful on the dusty Saddle. Indeed, more than one trekker has written in to say that gaiters are essential. However, we’ve also met trekkers who can’t see the point of them – it’s a matter of preference.

Moist toilet tissues (Wet-wipes). Use several at the end of the day and it’s the closest thing to a shower on the mountain.

Sandals/flip-flops Useful in the evenings at camp. Make sure they’re big enough to fit round thick socks.

Sewing kit For repairs on the trail.

Insulating tape Also for repairs – of shoes, rucksacks, tents etc, and as a last resort for mending holes in clothes if you have forgotten your sewing kit.

Watch Preferably cheap and luminous for night-time walking

Other stuff you may consider bringing on Kilimanjaro

Books To help you forget you’re on the mountain – if you want to.

Map Not essential but interesting.

GPS receiver We supply GPS waypoints on each trek in the guidebook.

Penknife Always useful, if only for opening beer bottles.

Clothes pegs For attaching wet clothes to your rucksack for drying in the sun when you walk.

Contraceptives But gentlemen, please note: if your partner says she has a headache, the chances are she really does have a headache.

Champagne For celebrating, of course, though don’t try to take it up and open it at the summit.

What to pack it in

You’ll need two bags: a rucksack (or duffle bag) and a smaller, lighter daypack. On Kili our porters carry your rucksack (choose one of about 80-90L) for you (usually on their heads and inside a rice sack to protect it from getting wet or damaged), while you will carry your daypack. So make sure you choose your daypack with care and that it is both comfortable and durable. It also needs to be big enough (around 30L) to hold everything you may need with you when walking, as it is unlikely that you will see your main rucksack from the moment you break camp in the morning to the time you arrive at camp in the evening.

Suggestions for what you should put in your daypack include: water (2-4 litres); waterproofs; sunhat, sunglasses and sun-cream; snacks/sweets; and a copy of our guide book.

One more thing: don’t leave anything valuable in your rucksack; though porters are usually trustworthy, it’s only fair that you do not put temptation in their path.

If you have waterproof covers for the daypack and rucksack, bring them. If you have reusable zip-loc bags to store things inside the bag, bring those too (but don’t use plastic bags!!!!)